Choosing Sides of the Heart
by Watson Baker
Summary: The journey into college following a young student named Maria Dills, her stuck up life, and a mysterious student with a hidden past. With two real friends, Maria finds resolution, happiness and a wonderful story that brings up the dark and the light. The mystery student has a part in her life that might make send her flying and fighting for the truth.
1. Meet the Student

This is my first song fic... though I'm not sure if this really is a song fic... this is mostly dedicated to the song. It will be a few chapters, and it won't distract me from my other works. Here it is for the song Unwell by Matchbox Twenty! Enjoy! I suggest you listen to the song too XD (All songs I put into this fic are based off of Danny Phantom and relate to him in some way that it is inspiring)

Note: The school isn't real and any future places with made up names

* * *

_All day starin' at the ceilin' makin' friends with shadows on my wall. All night hearing voices tellin' me that I should get some sleep. Because tomorrow might be good for somethin'. Hold on, feelin' like I'm headed for a breakdown. And I don't know why_

* * *

_**Meet the Student**_

_(Fourteen Years Ago)_

_'Why mama? Why did you have to leave?' The little girl asked herself as she stared at the black piece of metal that used to be her mother's car. _

_Men rushed over to her and checked if she was alright. Maria was fine, but that day, her heart died. _

_"Little girl, please give me your name," a man asked as he led her to a pitch black building where her mother was driving to before the accident. _

_"Maria... excuse me Mr. Bald Man... where are you taking me?" _

_The man laughed and gave her a crooked smile. "Your an orphan now. We have to find you a good home. I have a daughter you can hang out with while you wait. Her name is Addison Joan." _

_"Will I ever see mama again?" Maria asked again, sniffling a little into her red man looked at the girl who had lost everything and gave her a giant bear hug._

_ "No Maria, you wont, but I'll make sure that you find a life full of laughter and joy." _

_From then on, Maria's life took a turn for the better, but not her heart.  
_

_(End)  
_

Maria Dills wasn't your average college student. Dreaming of being a journalist, the brunette traveled the world for a great education when she was just a freshman in high school. Her wish list for the location of the school involved a small city with many great people, and mysteries to be documented. Naholin University of Virginia had a wonderful journalism program, so she headed there after being accepted.

Famous for her tan flawless skin and mismatched unique eye coloring, the girl spent most of her time hanging out with her high school friends that followed her like puppies on a leash, though she didn't care for any of them. Even though the prodigy was passionate, she had grown up with a worse personality thanks to her 'friends'. On the outside, Maria was still seeing the world in categories, and the people that were below here was nothing to her.

Inside, she doubted herself, and she would have continued to do so for the rest of her life if it wasn't for a skinny raven haired boy.

_**XXX**_

Maria walked down the corridor of her college and noticed the new freshman run by in a cold sweat. It was too dark, so he was only a shadow in the daylight. In his hands, she caught him holding some textbooks and a round cylinder container before he passed out of sight.

'Must be late for class...' the girl dismissed as she quickened her steps.

Her black high heels echoed around her as she stepped up to the classroom and lazily opened the door. The lecture had already begun, the teacher starting to talk about his views on the works of Charles Dickens, so Maria sat herself next to her childhood friend Addison. The dark blue skirt she had thrown on bunched up under her thighs as she scooted closer.

"Addison," Maria whispered. "Anything new happening today?"

The blonde turned to her with a sparkling glint in her blue eyes. "We have a new student!" She squeaked, not loud enough for the professor to hear. Maria's brown and purple eye lit up with interest.

"I think I met him a moment ago. He ran by be, so I think he's just a little late."

Addison twirled a curl in her hair and crossed her legs. "I heard from 'The Vine' that he's taking this class though."

"Will you quit using the school newspaper crew as your servants to gather information?" Marie scolded, lips pursed together and eyebrows lowered.

"Don't you think it's strange though that I couldn't find any other pieces of info besides his class schedules?" she pressed, trying to distract her friend.

It worked, for as soon as Maria heard that there was a mystery behind this person, she straightened herself and gave a sneaky grin. "I'm in. Let's talk at lunch. How about at Sally's Cafe?"

What most people knew about Maria was that if there was a suspicious mystery at the campus, she would round up her friends and expose the person in the paper in a matter of weeks. The public humiliation and the misery of the other student fueled her into writing convincing articles and stories.

Deep down, a small voice in her would always ask her if this was the right way to go after her love of words and writing.

_**XXX**_

Inside the cafe, Maria stirred her decaf mocha, leaning back against the red booth visions so that she didn't soil her white buttoned shirt. Taking a glance at her diamond speckled watch, she scowled and went back to staring outside the window. Cars ran by, but Maria still saw the town to be uneventful and boring.

'Where did all the fun go?' she mentally groaned.

A flash of black crossed her eyes for a second, but when she blinked, it disappeared. Startled, Maria leaned forward towards the glass to try and catch the shadow again. A ring from the cafe shop's bell divided her attention, so she turned around and leafed over her booth to see who had walked in.

What she saw was a young eighteen year old with the weirdest hairdo she had ever laid eyes on. 'What's with his fashion sense?' she asked herself. A plaid opened jacket, white tee-shirt, and dirt scattered jeans made him look like he was living in the country instead of a city.

Addison decided at that moment to burst into the cafe and run right into him. The plan was simple. The blonde would follow the new student to the cafe, and then run into him to 'borrow his wallet'. The young man fell right by Maria's booth and caught himself with his hands. He stood up and started to dust himself off, but as soon as he looked at Maria his hands froze.

Maria was busy staring into the man's eyes, which sparkled a brilliant blue that left her captivated. 'Calming, inspirational, serenity, peace, a windy day on a mountain...' her brain rambled on.

"Hello, do you go to my school?" the mystery student asked.

Maria snapped out of her writer spell and faced the guy with an unreadable expression. "What are you staring at?" She questioned with a small huff of irritation.

The guy just gave a small smile and held out his hand. "If you think I was looking at your eyes, then I'm sorry."

Maria blinked and held out her hand. Taking his, she shook it up and down slowly. "My name's Maria Dills."

"Hi, I'm Daniel Fenton."

After they exchanged names, Daniel gave a small smile and headed out of the building without another word.

When he was out of sight, Addison jumped to the opposite side of Maria's booth, a small green sweater wrapped around her. "Did you get any information out of him?" she questioned.

The brunette tapped her foot and stared at the window again. "His name is Daniel Fenton. Natural black hair and blue eyes."

"He sounds ordinary," Addison scoffed as she took out her phone to start texting the information to the was eerily silent before Maria broke the silence.

"Did you get his wallet?"

The blonde sighed and shook her head. "He didn't have anything but cash on him."

So in that cafe, the two girls planned to get more info on the new student, starting with night stalking.

* * *

_But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. __I know, right now you can't tell. __But stay a while and maybe then you'll see. __A different side of me_

_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. __I know, right now you don't care. __But soon enough you're gonna think of me. __And how I used to be, me_

* * *

So that's it! Hope you enjoyed this! Until then, review if you want, and...

Chow! : )


	2. The Mission

Hey there! This chapter is dedicated to the song Anything But Ordinary by Avril Lavigne. Enjoy the adventure!

* * *

_Sometimes I get so weird. I even freak myself out. I laugh myself to sleep. It's my lullaby  
_

_Sometimes I drive so fast. Just to feel the danger. I wanna scream. It makes me feel alive_

* * *

_**Spy Mission**_

The blue mustang hummed as it zipped through the outside town roads. Taking a sharp left, Maria drove it through a grassy patch of land till she came up to a hill. Her walkie-talkie beeped from inside her black bag.

"Tracker to Queen Bee, can you hear me?" A muffled voice called.

"Don't use code names Cooper!" She hissed at Addison's cousin as she got out of the car and crept up the hill, walkie-talkie in her hand.

Her black boots and attire kept her hidden in the night, even with the stars and the moon casting faint light below.

"You know you love me!" he sang back.

Cooper Ralfton, a cousin of Addison's and best reporter in the state, had a knack for snooping around people's personal lives. With a little inside interrogation, Cooper had figured out where the new student was in a matter of minutes.

"Why does he come out at night?" She whispered into the device as she glanced over the hill.

"I heard from some people that he prays to devils and kills spirits," his voice crackled in a mocking evil tone.

"Did you eat something weird, or are you that crazy?" she spat before turning off the com.

As she climbed over the hill and came to the top, she was met with a strange discovery that made her freeze where she knelt.

Daniel was leaning back into the grass. The wind swept through his hair and picked up a few leaves that whipped past him. His eyes were cast up into the night sky, reflecting the stars so perfectly that Maria was breathless. She forgot about taking pictures to humiliate him or expose him. For that one second, Maria saw a human who had a dream to reach the stars and join them.

A gasp escaped her for a second, but that second was all she needed for Daniel to find out he was being watched. The next moment Maria blinked her eyes, he had disappeared into the night, leaving no trace.

_**XXX**_

Morning was a terrible time of day in the newspaper publishing center because of the heat plus broken air conditioner. Cooper the dusty blonde brown eyed hacker in his tattered hand-me-down clothing continued to poke at Maria's right arm as she sat at her desk and left her pen to hover over the pad.

"Why didn't you get any information?" he pressed.

Angry beyond reasoning, she turned around and grabbed his collar, getting closer to his face with her teeth bared.

"I had a nonproductive night and you're asking me for information! I can't just make up stuff about people. That's Addison's job!"

"Well you have a chance to get more information on him. Today he's going with the nature group on a bike ride. Your job is to follow him and see if he prays to dead trees."

Maria face palmed and walked out of the room to get dressed for her next undercover assignment.

_**XXX**_

Sticks and twigs were caught in her hair as she ran through the woods. She had taken her car up to the start of the biking trail, but from there only two wheeled vehicles and bikers could go through legally.

"I'm from the city! I shouldn't have to hike out here!" She ranted.

"Then why don't you take a bike?" a voice behind her asked.

Maria whipped around to find Daniel standing there with two bikes next to him. Another look told her that he had two helmets, and he hadn't changed his clothes since yesterday.

"Do you even own good clothing?" she asked with disgust.

A month ago since their first meeting, Maria had kept her act as the unfriendly top girl of the campus. Daniel seemed to ignore that fact, so they had been exchanging two different conversations every time they cross paths.

"Want to go bicycling? Your sundress won't get ruined, I promise."

Maria blinked, then put her hand up to her head and held it there by her temple. "I don't bike. I can fall and scrape myself."

"Don't your friends bike around here?" he asked, leaning against a tree.

"Yes, but I would rather sit in my wonderfully air conditioned mustang and enjoy going faster than the average person."

"Where's the fun in that?" he complained with a tad of humor.

"You will never get me on one of those things!" she declared as she spun around and stomped away, her sandals smashing twigs and her hair flying in the breeze. Daniel chuckled and followed the flower patterned girl with a goal set in his mind.

He was going to show her what life was all about.

_**XXX**_

'How did he get me into this?' Maria groaned as she wobbled on her red bike.

Daniel rode right beside her on a green bike with a strange symbol that she had never seen before. Making a mental note to take a picture of it later, Maria tried to speed up, but a small bump launched her off her bike.

"Ahhh!" she yelled as she felt the wind blow her dress and hair up behind her.

In front of her was a cliff with a few trees below. Closing her eyes, Maria prepared for a nasty crash, when suddenly a pair of skinny arm wrapped around her, a thump later, she opened her eyes to find herself sprawled on top of Daniel, who was flattened underneath. Looking up, she saw the trees, undisturbed like they had just fallen through the branches.

"Are you okay?" Maria asked.

Daniel blinked slowly, and then ruffled his hair with a smile. "I'm okay. Uh... Can you get off me?"

"Sorry!" Maria squeaked, and then mentally slapped herself for doing so. After getting up, she ran away from the person who continued to puzzle her.

* * *

_Is it enough to love? __Is it enough to breathe? __Somebody rip my heart out. __And leave me here to bleed_

_Is it enough to die? __Somebody save my life! __I'd rather be anything but ordinary please_

* * *

There it is! I hope this story is still interesting! I edited the first chapter for those who have read it. Until then,

Chow! : )


	3. Know Your Target

Hi there, this is the last chapter for a while. Cause school is starting soon and I have a real book to write. But before I get to that, I'll work on the next chapter to Ghostly Elements! This chapter is dedicated to the song Secrets by OneRepublic. Enjoy!

* * *

_I need another story. __Something to get off my chest. __My life gets kinda boring. __Need something that I can confess_

_'Til all my sleeves are stained red. __From all the truth that I've said. __Come by it honestly I swear. __Thought you saw me wink, no. __I've been on the brink, so..._

* * *

_**Know Your Target**_

"A symbol?" Cooper and Addison asked at the same time, leaning towards Maria who was sitting on the opposite side of the desk.

"Yes. It looks like a D inside a P."

After her bike ride with Daniel, Maria decided to do a little research on the mysterious symbol. Maria's eye for curious things and Addison's research always made them an unstoppable team.

"It might have something to do with his family. I looked up his family background and found out that his parents hunt ghosts while Maria looked up Daniel's home town fourteen years ago. Many people in his town got possessed."

"I knew it!" Cooper cheered and jumped around the newspaper office.

"Calm down, I don't think he's like that," Addison said as she pulled out a few files on the computer. "The symbol has nothing to do with his family. It's actually part of a myth."

"What the heck?" Maria exclaimed as she read the articles, not believing any of this. "So he's just a fan of some local superhero?"

"Looks like it," Cooper sighed and leaned forward on the desk before getting up to sit in a chair by the window.

"Wait, here's a picture of him," Addison pointed out as she clicked on the link

. The screen enlarged to show a blurry figure flying across the sky. The only visible colors were black and white. Addison pulled up the print and read aloud so Cooper could hear.

"Amity Park's own superhero goes from a villain to a friend of the people in one year. Known for their ghost sightings, the town is always in a panic and alert mode. Scientists Maddie and Jack Fenton vowed to destroy this ghost for many years, but failed to do so. He disappeared three years ago and was never seen again. The mysterious ghost's name has changed throughout the Internet, but what the ghost wanted others to call him was Danny Phantom."

"Danny Phantom? That's so cheesy yet original!" Cooper laughed, shaking his head and clutching his sides.

"So why is the son of ghost hunters a fan of a mysterious ghost?" Maria asked herself. Addison turned toward her friend and gave an evil grin.

"How about you befriend him and learn all about his personal interest in this childhood hero of his, then we can exploit him in the paper!"

All of a sudden, a pile of papers by the door fell and spilled everywhere. Cooper, frightened by the sudden drop, fell out of his chair and bolted to the floor to collect the papers.

"Strong wind today…" Maria muttered.

_**XXX**_

"So, want to talk about something?" Daniel asked Maria as they sat in the school's garden together.

"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" She huffed with her arms crossed.

"Well, you asked me out here, and your wearing the same outfit from two days ago… didn't you get mad at me for that?"

Maria looked down at her white shirt and blue skirt and blushed like mad. "I like this look!"

"I like mine as well. So...?"

Maria took out a green notepad and pencil before facing Daniel with a determined expression. "I was just wondering about that symbol on your bike. I looked it up online and it brought up a ghost from Amity Park. I was wondering what you thought of it and I wanted to ask you a few questions."

Daniel thought for a minute, and then looked back at Maria with a nervous smile. "Ask away."

Shuffling a little, Maria got comfortable and started asking from the list that all three of the newspaper people came up with.

"Okay… Question number one… Do you think ghosts exist?"

Daniel started laughing, but looked at Maria's narrowed brown and purple eye and stopped to answer her.

"Well, I believe ghosts exist, only because they constantly attacked my family and came out of a ghost portal in my basement."

A pregnant silence filled the air until Maria coughed.

"Your joking right?"

Daniel sighed and rubbed his neck. "I wish…"

Maria quickly jotted his answer down and moved on, ignoring the fact that the new student was pretty crazy and believed that ghosts could harm people.

Birds flew through the trees above them on the cloudy yet sunny day. Most students were in their dorms studying while Maria quizzed Daniel to gain his secrets.

"Question number two… what was that symbol on your bike?"

"It's the logo for the ghost Danny Phantom who used to protect Amity Park from evil ghosts. And no, he isn't evil. He was just protecting humans and trying to keep the ghosts from invading earth."

"You seem to know a lot about this Phantom Character," Maria pressed, sensing a mystery about to be solved if she keeps up her questions. "Since you don't seem to think he is evil like everyone else, do you have any ties or connections with him. Like did you know him when he was alive?"

Daniel suddenly got up from the bench and looked down with a sad smile at the girl who was trying to figure out what no one else could.

"I don't feel like answering any questions right now. When I think your ready, I'll give all my secrets away. For now, I don't want you posting my comments into that newspaper the school runs."

Maria could only gape as Daniel walked away to his next class, becoming more of a mystery to her than when she first met him.

* * *

_Tell me what you want to hear. __Something that were like those years. __I'm sick of all the insincere. __So I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

_This time. __Don't need another perfect line. __Don't care if critics ever jump in line. __I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

* * *

Okay, that's it for a while! Hope its not too much of a cliffie! Until then,

Chow! : )


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